AirTran Online Service: Easy To Use, Crabby Customer Service
Written: Nov 24 '03 (Updated Nov 24 '03)
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So there I was, sitting in front of the computer, looking for really low fares to Florida. We’re traveling on December 11th to Orlando from Rochester, New York. We found the lowest fare on AirTran as it was an unbeatable price. I checked Delta and US Airways before booking the flight on AirTran, but AirTran wiped out the competition by a few (hundred) dollars.
The Site
Here are some special features of the site listed on the front page. Be sure to check around the site before booking a flight!
- Reservations & Schedules
- Flight Check-In
- Destinations
- Specials
- Programs
- Travel Information
- About Us
- Espaņol
Booking
Booking is easy. Once at the main page, www.airtran.com, simply choose where you are flying from, where to, when (one-way or round-trip), and the passenger amount. You can also choose if you’re dates are flexible. Everything is done through drop-down menus which makes the site really easy to use.
The next page lists the results. The non-stop flights are listed first, then they are listed according to time. A coach fare and first class fare is listed, and you can select either one by simply poking the little button. Also, the page displays flight times and connecting flights. Unfortunately, the aircraft type isn’t listed. I selected the flight connecting in Atlanta as it was cheaper than the non-stop flight.
Once you select your flight, billing information is listed. There’s information for the price each way, then on the bottom the total price for all the passengers, including airport taxes and fees, are listed. This area also gives you the opportunity to type in your A-Plus Award number. A-Plus is the AirTran frequent flier program which allows you to earn free trips by booking frequently with the airline.
The rest of the booking pages include regular information such as phone number, name of passengers flying, who’s booking, credit card info, address, email address, and the A-Plus Awards numbers of the rest of the passengers flying. You can also opt to sign up for AirTran Net Escapes. This will notify you of AirTran special promotions, offers, and sales.
I bought the tickets for around $130 round trip per passenger including airport taxes and fees. Once I confirmed the reservation, a screen came up displaying my confirmation number and my itinerary. This was sent directly to my email (within five minutes), and it’s important to have this email printed out for check-in.
Since my booking was a special internet sale, I couldn’t reserve my seats in advance. Instead, I will be assigned a seat upon check-in at the airport. I personally don’t like this - JetBlue lets you reserve your seats online unless there are ten or less seats left open on the flight. See, I like to get the window seat, but since I couldn’t reserve a certain seat, there’s no guarantee.
Customer Service
I called AirTran after booking to double check that my reservation was processed and in the system. So I called 1.800.AIRTRAN and asked them to make sure that everything was okay. The voice over the phone was not friendly at all, and the reservation agent seemed to be giving me attitude. I had called a few times before to check price quotes, and I haven’t really experienced friendly customer service personnel.
Remember...
- Remember - you can upgrade to First Class when on board for only $35! So if the fare online looks a bit too expensive, wait till you’re on the plane to get the deluxe treatment.
- Children who are traveling alone should have their parents book the flight through 1.800.AIRTRAN...770.994.8258 for reservations in Atlanta.
- You can only sign up for AirTran A-Plus Awards online. You have to apply for the VISA through the phone or online.
- Get a Hertz car rental discount when booking an AirTran flight.
- You can also book a hotel on AirTran.com.
- AirTran Airways Vacation Packages are available.
- Download the AirTran Airways flight schedule onto you palm pilot or pocket pc (handheld device).
- CityGuides allow you to look at what there is to do at the destination you’re visiting or considering visiting.
- There’s this really neat AirTran Airways merchandise online store. You can buy shirts and little 1:200 planes.
- View the stock quote at the bottom of the home page.
Conclusion
I would recommend using the AirTran Airways Online Service because it’s easy to use, quick, and reliable. The drop-down menus make it easy to figure out where to go, and I like that I was sent a confirmation email right after I confirmed the flight. The only things that could be done better is if the home page isn’t so full, and perhaps the customer service could be improved. Also, it really would be so nice if you could confirm your seats even when you book on the special Web Fare.
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Recommended:
Yes
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